Modules for housing electronic components are often used for industrial automation controllers, industrial automation input/output (I/O) modules, and related applications. These electronics modules are commonly connected to a DIN rail or other mounting structure, and the electronic printed circuit board(s) (PCB) contained in the module are electrically grounded through the DIN rail when the module is physically connected to the DIN rail. It is critical to establish a reliable and durable low impedance ground path from the module PCB to the DIN rail.
Known ground connectors for this purpose have been found to be suboptimal. In one prior arrangement, a pressure (non-soldered) contact is used to connect the module's PCB electrically to the ground connector. The ground connector includes clips, pads, and/or other features that abut with an electrical contact of the PCB. In another embodiment, an individual ground contact is soldered to a separate connector board or other intermediate circuit component, but a pressure (non-soldered) connection is still used at the interface between this intermediate circuit component and the PCB inside the module. In either case, these non-soldered, pressure contacts between the PCB and the ground connector (or between the PCB and the intermediate circuit component including the ground connector) increase ground path impedance and are subject to contamination, vibration, and physical damage during assembly and/or repair or maintenance. Use of intermediate circuit boards between the PCB and the DIN rail or other mounting structure increases component and assembly cost and assembly time and can increase impedance in the ground path due to an increased number of non-soldered connections. Other known modules use a separate ground connector that is individually placed and soldered to the PCB, but such a solution requires an additional component placement and soldering operation which undesirably results in additional manufacturing steps and also requires a suitable location on the PCB for installation of the separate ground connector which consumes valuable space on the circuit board.
Accordingly, a need has been identified for a new and improved method and structure for providing an electronics modules with a ground connector that exhibits the required low impedance ground path and that also provides increased durability while reducing manufacturing steps and cost.